Contents

History

Before First Curse

In one of the Enchanted Forest's villages, a couple, Rumplestiltskin and Milah, make their living by spinning wool. Rumplestiltskin is drafted into the ogre war, and Milah, though afraid for her husband's safety, gives her blessings for him to fight on the battlefield. During the months spent training to be a soldier, he encounters a seer that can predict the future. She prophesies Milah's impending pregnancy and the birth of their son, and that Rumplestiltskin will indeed become a father, but he will also lose his son because of his actions on the battlefield. Assuming this means he will die, Rumplestiltskin purposely injures his foot so he can be sent home. When he arrives back, he walks in on Milah, who is tending to their infant son. She reveals having named the boy Baelfire, explaining that he needs a strong name if the rumors of what Rumplestiltskin did to himself are true. Rumplestiltskin tries to clarify why he had to because he didn't want their son to be without a father, but Milah thinks his excuses about the seer and prophecy are absurd. Humiliated that her husband is a coward, she argues that if he had fought and died in the war, their son could have at least have an immortalized image of how brave he was, instead of Rumplestiltskin being alive and a deserter. ("Manhattan")

Years later, after Baelfire has grown to be a young child, he wanders off from his parents while they are in the woods. Milah, taking on the bulk of the housework, refuses help from her husband, deeming him incapable and even suggests he go play with their son instead. Seeing a snake slither by, a curious Baelfire reaches his hand out to the reptile, only to be bitten by it. His scream alerts his parents, and they find him curled up in pain from the bite. After Milah kills the snake, she and Rumplestiltskin take it to a healer, Fendrake, who tells them the bite is fatal and their son doesn't have much time left. He offers them an antidote for a hundred gold coins, which the couple does not have. With Baelfire's life at stake, Milah devises a plan for Rumplestiltskin to kill Fendrake and steal the potion. While her husband is away on the mission, she returns home to watch over her sickly son. Rumplestiltskin comes back with the antidote, and after having Baelfire drink it, he is cured of the snake's poison. Milah learns that, instead of killing Fendrake, Rumplestiltskin agreed to owe him his second-born child. Angered that he made the choice without her consent, Milah becomes even more distant from her husband, driving a further wedge in their marriage. ("Devil's Due")

Some years after this, Milah frequently spends her days drinking and gambling at the tavern, where she keeps company with a pirate, Killian, and his crewmen. One day, Rumplestiltskin returns home, finding Baelfire all alone without his mother. Taking his son with him, Rumplestiltskin goes to the tavern, but before going in to look for Milah, he has Baelfire wait outside. Milah shows no interest in going home with her husband until Baelfire comes in to call for her, to which she leaves for her child's sake. Unhappy with the life she leads, Milah talks about wishing to explore and see the world, and she tries to entertain the idea to her husband. Instead, he asks her to try to be family for Baelfire, so she reluctantly agrees. During the night, however, Milah leaves her family to join Killian on his ship. Hearing rumors that his wife was kidnapped by the pirate, Rumplestiltskin pleads with Killian for Milah's release, but nothing comes out of it when he is too cowardly to face Killian in a sword fight. ("The Crocodile")

After failing to retrieve Milah, Rumplestiltskin lies to his son about her death, rather than admit the truth about her disappearance. One day, Baelfire and his father see the neighbor's daughter, Morraine, who recently turned fourteen, be taken away by soldiers and drafted into the Ogre War. One of the soldiers taunts Rumplestiltskin about his runaway wife, which confuses Baelfire. Later, he asks his father what the man meant, to which Rumplestiltskin sticks to his story that his mother is dead. With his son's fourteenth birthday only days away, Rumplestiltskin fears his son will be taken away to fight in the war. Though Baelfire is willing to go to war, this is simply an option his father doesn't even want to consider. To prevent this from happening, he slays Zoso, "The Dark One", taking on his powers in order to protect Baelfire. On the day Baelfire turns fourteen, soldiers come to take the boy away, but Rumplestiltskin comes upon the men, slaughtering all of them with magic, while his son watches in horror. ("Desperate Souls")

With his magic, Rumplestiltskin kills every ogre and ends the war, with most of the villagers hailing him as a hero for his brave deed, except for Beowulf, who believes him to be a monster and that his dark magic will come at a price the villagers will pay for. Baelfire asks his father to stop using magic now that the ogres are defeated, and Rumplestiltskin reluctantly agrees. However, a few days later, Baelfire is thrown in the mud by the baker's son, which covers his face and makes him look like a monster. He attempts to wash it off before his father notices, but when his father finds out, he asks him not to overreact. When villagers beg Rumplestiltskin to fight a beast called Grendel, which several villagers, including Beowulf, have gone to slay unsuccessfully, Baelfire encourages his father to do it without using magic, as proof to the villagers that he's not a monster. Rumplestiltskin agrees, however, he secretly brings the dagger along. During the trip to Grendel's cave, Baelfire sees the dagger after catching his father reaching for it, to which Rumplestiltskin forfeits the dagger to him, telling his son to stop him if he tries to use magic. The pair discovers corpses of villagers in the cave, but Rumplestiltskin realizes there is no Grendel after finding an ogre horn. Beowulf, the actual culprit, steals the dagger, with plans of making the villagers think Rumplestiltskin is a murderer while he himself is a hero. Using the dagger, Beowulf commands him to stand still as he goes to get the villagers. Baelfire flees for help and is able to snatch the dagger from Beowulf before summoning Rumplestiltskin, who fights Beowulf but doesn't kill him. While Rumplestiltskin wants to reveal Beowulf's evil nature to the villagers, Beowulf mocks him, stating that the villagers are afraid of him and will never believe him. As the man turns to leave, Baelfire's anger fuels him into commanding his father to murder Beowulf, despite that Rumplestiltskin doesn't want to. After arriving home, Baelfire expresses his newfound belief that they need the dagger to protect themselves. Rumplestiltskin, not wanting his son to succumb to darkness like him, spikes Baelfire's tea with a memory potion. Moments after drinking it, Baelfire loses all recollection of how they got out of the cave and away from Beowulf, though Rumplestiltskin assures him that Beowulf won't bother them again. When Baelfire sees Beowulf's sword, he accuses Rumplestiltskin of using dark magic to kill Beowulf, while his father can only sadly reply that he did what he had to do. ("Ill-Boding Patterns")

Rumplestiltskin grows more powerful and intimidating as the Dark One, but also begins keeping Baelfire at home from the outside world. While the boy is drawing, Rumplestiltskin returns home with a knife and gives it to him to use for sharpening his coal. Upset, Baelfire knocks it off the table to the floor and proclaims he wants nothing his father gains from being the Dark One. Rumplestiltskin then asks his son what desires and Baelfire admits he desires freedom. His father misunderstands and thinks he desires to live in a castle, but Baelfire, in actuality, wants to be able to go out and have friends. Rumplestiltskin forbids this as he worries it will be a way for his enemies to kidnap Baelfire and hold him captive. However, Baelfire wonders if his father's protectiveness is actually a fear his own son will leave and never come back. For a moment, Rumplestiltskin looks surprised but quickly asserts his feelings are out of concern for Baelfire's safety and acknowledges it'd be an unthinkable thing to lose him. One night, Baelfire is drawn into following the sound of the Pied Piper's musical flute to a bonfire. Once there, he befriends the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Peter Pan, and happily spends time with other boys his age. Pan wants to bring him back to his own world, Neverland, but plans to make a deal with Baelfire's father, Rumplestiltskin. As a choice of free will, Pan tells Baelfire that Rumplestiltskin must ask his own son whether he wishes to stay or leave for Neverland. In doing so, it will prove Rumplestiltskin trusts and cares for his son. When Pan presents his arrangement to the Dark One, he refuses to comply and teleports Baelfire home with him. Out of parental concern for his son's safety, Rumplestiltskin briefly talks about his relationship with Pan, which ended with him being betrayed by the latter. Despite that, Baelfire calls him out about the deal Pan offered. Had Rumplestiltskin given him the choice, he declares it would have been to stay with his father. Bitterly, he contemplates the lost chance at being a family with him, though Rumplestiltskin says they still can. Rejecting the notion, Baelfire storms out. ("Nasty Habits")

Later, Rumplestiltskin ends the Ogre War and saves thousands of children's lives, but Baelfire wishes for things to return as they were before he became the Dark One. He is worried that magic will continue to corrupt his father and wants him to be rid of. Rumplestiltskin shows his son the dagger and explains that can't happen unless someone were to kill him with it. However, he agrees to part with magic if Baelfire can find a way to make it possible without dying. While contemplating this, Baelfire's friend Morraine tells him about the Reul Ghorm she heard of during the war. He goes and finds the Reul Ghorm, which turns out to be the Blue Fairy. She gives him a magic bean so he and his father can go to a "land without magic". He rushes back home to show Rumplestiltskin the bean and they head out to the woods. After Baelfire opens a portal with it, Rumplestiltskin backs out of their deal; unwilling to give up his powers. As they argue, Baelfire nearly slips into the portal, but his father grabs and tries to pull him back up by using the dagger as an anchor. He urges Rumplestiltskin to come with him but, torn between magic and his son, Rumplestiltskin makes a split decision to let go of his son's hand. Baelfire falls into the portal as it closes. ("The Return")

Through the portal, Baelfire lands in a new world. At first, he still calls for his father but realizes he is now alone. For months, he wanders the streets searching for leftover bits of food. He uses a propped ladder against an open window to his advantage and climbs in to see a table of food. Baelfire gorges on it to satisfy his hunger until one of the residents of the house, Wendy, takes him for a thief. Once Wendy notices that he's starving, she kindly offers him as much bread as he likes. She takes pity on Baelfire and hides her new friend in the nursery room cubby-hole and sneaks up food for him for weeks until being caught by her parents. Though Wendy tries to speak up in Baelfire's favor, her mother won't hear of it and surprises everyone by allowing him to stay as a house guest. From then on, Baelfire joins Wendy and her two brothers, John and Michael, in the nursery and gains his own bed. One night, he awakens to see Wendy sitting on the windowsill. Excitedly, she tells him about a Shadow dancing outside and how it moves like magic. The mention of magic displeases Baelfire, who shares his own experience of it destroying his whole life, and will do the same to her family as well. He makes her promise never to open the window for the Shadow, but she cannot contain her curiosity. On a different night, he catches her opening the window and being whisked off into the air by the Shadow. Horrified, he can only watch but refuses to leave the windowsill until she comes back. When morning comes, Baelfire stirs from sleep to see Wendy is brought back by the Shadow. Though Wendy had a fun time in a place called Neverland, she is frightened since the Shadow wants to take one of her brothers away permanently. Baelfire vows to help her put a stop to it. The following evening, the four children arm themselves with kitchen utensils as weapons. They wait until the Shadow breaks in before scurrying into the cubby hole to hide, but Michael gets left behind. Baelfire prevents the kidnapping by offering himself up instead and is promptly grabbed and taken away to Neverland as Wendy and her brothers watch in fright from the window. As they approach the island of Neverland, he refuses to accept his fate and lights a match to scare off the Shadow. Startled, the creature drops him into the water as Baelfire passes out. After a brief search, the Shadow can't find the boy and flies back to the island. Nearby, a ship sights Baelfire in the water and brings him aboard. Sputtering and confused, Baelfire wakes up to meet the ship's captain, Hook, and one of his crewmates, William Smee. ("Second Star to the Right")

That night, Hook and Smee are contemplating on what to do with Baelfire and decide to turn him into the Shadow, in order to appease Peter Pan. However, when Hook learns he is Milah's son, he quickly changes his mind and protects him from the Lost Ones, who come looking for him. Hook befriends Baelfire and even starts acting like a father, partially to find out more about Rumplestiltskin, but also because he is Milah's son. He teaches Baelfire to steer a ship and the two bond over their shared experiences of both being abandoned by their fathers. Baelfire tells Hook that his father is the Dark One, and how he was always more concerned about a magic dagger that could kill him. A few days later, in one of the rooms below deck, Baelfire discovers a drawing of Milah. Angered, he demands the truth from Hook, who confesses that he and Milah ran away to be together out of love, but then Rumplestiltskin killed her. Hook pleas that Milah always wanted to go back for him so the three of them could be a family, and since she is dead, he wants to be one with Baelfire. The boy is unable to see past Hook's lies and deceit, realizing the pirate only wants to know how to kill Rumplestiltskin, and blames him for tearing apart his family as well as for Milah's death. Baelfire commands to be taken back to the Darlings, but that is impossible, so he opts for leaving the ship for Neverland's shores. As he is getting ready to depart on a boat provided by the Lost Ones, Hook, hoping Baelfire will change his mind, gives him one last chance to do so. Baelfire sticks to the plan, prompting Hook to spitefully thank the boy for helping to see that he only needs revenge and nothing else. Once he reaches the coast of Neverland, the Lost Ones pull him out where an older boy, Felix, awaits to examine Baelfire's face with a drawing of someone Pan is seeking. The drawing is not a match, and Baelfire is sent off with the other boys. ("And Straight On 'Til Morning")

In 2001, Neal works as a janitor at a high-end jewelry store in Phoenix. The manager is a drunk and often forgets to lock the cases to the expensive watches sold by the store. Neal initially tries to resist temptation to steal them, but eventually he takes a couple of cases of watches and takes a train to Portland, where he hides the watches in a locker at the train station. ("Tallahassee")

One day, Neal steals a yellow bug. He is in the back seat when another thief, Emma, steals the car and forcibly starts the engine before driving it. Neal scares her by suddenly popping up from the back and noting that she could have just asked him for the keys. As Emma continues driving, he introduces himself and persuades her to give him her name as well. When an officer pulls them over to ask for Emma's license and registration, Neal convincingly lies that the car is his and he is, in fact, teaching her how to drive. The officer lets them go, and Neal hops into the front passenger seat as he reveals to Emma that he was already in the process of stealing the car earlier when she stole it too. ("Tallahassee")

Later, Neal shows up to a closed amusement park with coffee for Emma, who is already there waiting for him. He lets her hold the coffee cups while he picks open the gate lock. After gaining access into the park, Neal pulls a lever to make a merry-go-round ride light up. They sit on the ride's swings as Emma asks what Neal's story is. Neal tells her about leaving his past behind as it was a screwed up situation, though his home life wasn't always bad. Emma wonders why he didn't go back to fix it, to which Neal explains he can't because his father changed too much. Neal considers things were good before that and this is how he knew it was home to him because once he left, he started to miss it. ("There's No Place Like Home")

Quickly fall in love, they began running cons to make money, eventually planning to retire from their life of crime. They choose to build a life together in Tallahassee, but Neal gives Emma the bad news he is currently wanted for stolen watches that are now hidden in a train station. Emma retrieves the watches and they decide to meet up at a specific location after Neal finds someone to buy the watches. While doing so, Neal is confronted by August, who claims Emma is meant to do something greater rather than live a life of a petty thief. He shows knowledge of Neal's past by unveiling a typewriter with the words, "I know you're Baelfire" written on them. Afterward, August tells Neal about Emma's magical history and convinces him to turn her into the police so she can fulfill her destiny. Following Emma's arrest, Neal runs away to Canada where he sells the watches. Sometime later, he meets up with August, who tells him Emma was sentenced to eleven months in jail and is in a minimum security prison in Phoenix. Neal wishes to go see her, but August deters him by reminding him of their deal. He then gives him the money he got from the watches, insisting he sends all of it plus the yellow bug and car keys to Emma and further requests that, if she ever fulfills her duty, August should let him know by sending him a postcard. ("Tallahassee")

At an older age, Neal begins residing in New York City. August pays him another visit to inform him of his plans to help Emma break the curse. Neal dislikes the idea of his father coming to look for him when the curse is broken. Even though he and Emma can possibly reunite then, Neal doesn't think she would want to see him. Neal watches August ride off on his motorcycle and upon turning to leave, he accidentally bumps into a woman, Tamara, holding a cup of coffee, causing it to spill all over her, to which offers her his scarf to cover up the stains. They exchange numbers, start dating, and later become engaged. ("Selfless, Brave and True")

After First Curse

By the time Emma breaks the Dark Curse, Neal is still living in New York City, where he receives a postcard from August which is delivered to him by a dove. One side of the postcard reads, "Broken", and the other is a photo of the Storybrooke Clock Tower with the phrase "Greetings from Storybrooke". ("Broken")

One day, Neal receives a call buzz from someone trying to gain access to his apartment. The person on the intercom states he has a UPS delivery for him, but for reasons unknown, this makes Neal afraid and he flees out of the window before jumping down the ladder to run away. He flees from his pursuer until they both careen into each other in an alleyway. As Neal looks up to see who was chasing him, he is shocked to see Emma. She, equally stunned to see him, accuses him and his father, Mr. Gold, of deceiving her. Not wanting a confrontation out in the open, Neal succeeds in getting Emma to a nearby bar where he reveals that he is, in fact, Mr. Gold's son Baelfire, and then they discuss their past. Neal makes note of the fact she is still wearing the necklace he gave her, but Emma takes it off just then and hands it back to him. He suggests that they go their separate ways and insists she tells Mr. Gold she lost him. Although Emma agrees, Neal decides to go back to his apartment as he knows what his father does to people who break deals with him. He stops Mr. Gold from threatening Emma and commands him to leave, but feels confused when he sees Henry, who he does not recognize. When Emma states Henry is her son, Neal adamantly demands to know how old he is. Henry shouts back he is eleven years old, which is the exact amount of years since he and Emma were together. He realizes the boy is his son. Mr. Gold blackmails Neal into talking with him as that is the only way to fulfill Emma's bargain. Neal tells Mr. Gold that since he himself as an abandoned boy never got closure, neither will his father. Emma allows Neal to get to know Henry but warns him not to break his heart. ("Manhattan")

While getting to know Henry, Neal swears him to secrecy about his past quest to find a way to destroy magic and mentions a journal he kept that contains all his research. During one day in New York, he introduces his son to New York-style pizza and promises to take him to a museum. Neal tries to tell Emma about Tamara, but he is unable to after their conversation is interrupted. In preparation for the museum trip, Neal and Henry head up to the apartment to grab a camera. They rush back down after hearing a commotion and see Mr. Gold has been stabbed by Hook, who Emma has knocked out. To everyone's surprise, Neal admits he and Hook met in the past. Since only magic can cure Mr. Gold's wound, Neal offers to steer Hook's ship back to Storybrooke, and he arranges to borrow someone else's car so they can reach the harbor. Emma curiously asks how he knows Hook and how to pilot a pirate ship, though he evasively says the land without magic is not the first world he arrived in, because if it had been, he would be over three-hundred years old by now. When they arrive next to a large car, Neal prepares to use the keys when the owner of the vehicle, Tamara walks up to greet him, and he introduces Emma to his future wife. ("The Queen Is Dead", "Only You")

With Henry's help, Neal pilots the Jolly Roger from New York to Storybrooke. While en route, Emma telephones David and Mary Margaret, to fill them in on what has happened. David explains to them Cora and Regina have possession of the dagger which can be used to control Mr. Gold. They arrive at the pawnshop, and once inside, Mr. Gold gives a piece of magic invisible chalk to Emma and tells her to draw a magic barrier across the door with the chalk. Neal jokes that he did not know she could use magic, and Emma chides at him for not telling her about Tamara or who his father is. When Cora and Regina reach the shop, they use magic to break the barrier and end up battling Neal, Mary Margaret, David, and Emma. Regina ejects David by throwing him out of the shop. After distracting Cora and Regina, Emma proceeds to draw another barrier outside the shop's back room to protect herself, Neal and Mr. Gold for a little longer. After hearing Mr. Gold's emotional phone conversation with his girlfriend Belle, Neal realizes that his father has changed. As father and son share a close moment, Cora breaks through the barrier. Though Neal and Emma rise to defend Mr. Gold, she teleports them to the town forest. ("The Miller's Daughter")

After Cora's death, Mr. Gold warns Emma and David about what Regina has planned for Mary Margaret. Henry is horrified about his family's possible intent to kill Regina to end the feud. Emma takes an upset Henry to the diner where Neal hangs out with him. He orders him a nice dessert, but Henry knows Neal is in on trying to sweeten him up so he does not try to get involved with Regina. Neal asks him to move to New York with him where he will be safer, and Henry agrees and then goes to the bathroom. Emma comes back to check up on them and is incredulous that Neal fell for the "I'm going to the bathroom" trick, especially since Henry took his backpack with him. They try to catch up with him, and get to the mines with help from Ruby and realize Henry took dynamite to blow up the wishing well to get rid of magic. They hurry off to the well and nearly have a heated battle with Regina, but Henry manages to get everyone to stop. Henry convinces Regina to not use the spell on him, and she willingly burns the paper. ("Welcome to Storybrooke")

Deciding he wants to stay in town for Henry's sake, Neal phones Tamara and asks her to come as well. At some point, he returns to New York alone and discovers Hook missing from the storeroom. While he is staying at Storybrooke's inn, Emma and Henry visit him. Sending Henry to grab three hot cocoas from the diner, Neal tells Emma about Hook's disappearance and then reveals Tamara will be arriving shortly. She dislikes the idea of another outsider in town and pushes Neal to tell Tamara about his true identity. The foursome have an awkward breakfast in silence, but the conversation picks up when Henry asks how the two of them met, to which Tamara briefly relates the story. Once Henry and Emma head out, Neal shows Tamara the book and tells her about his life in the Enchanted Forest; stating all the fairytales in the book are real. Perceiving this is a ploy to drive her away so he can be with Emma, Tamara angrily berates his story, and storms out. Later, in front of the sheriff department building, he witnesses a wooden August die with his last words warning Emma about "her". After Mother Superior arrives and transforms August back into Pinocchio, Tamara arrives to see the workings of magic. Unknown to Neal and the others, moments earlier, she was the one who killed August since he was trying to expose her to Emma. Feigning surprise at witnessing actual magic, Tamara decides to stay in Storybooke for Neal's sake. ("Selfless, Brave and True")

In the park, Neal and Henry have fun playing with wooden swords. At the end of the day, Neal carries an asleep Henry home. Emma tucks him into bed and then the two sit down to talk. She casually asks him if he would go back to the Enchanted Forest if there was a way, but Neal states he spent his whole life running from it. ("Lacey")

On a rainy day, he and Tamara huddle under an umbrella as they are leaving the bed and breakfast. He returns to the guest room to find Henry waiting outside. As Henry struggles for a reason for his appearance, Neal notices that he is kicking the door. Recognizing the door tactic as his own, he bursts into the room to find Emma prying open a loose floorboard. Emma explains her suspicion of Tamara as possibly being the person August was warning them about. She also harbors doubts since Tamara has a list of everyone in town and their fairytale names, though Neal replies he gave that list to her so his fiancée can come to grips with Storybrooke and his identity. Neal goes out on a limb and allows Emma to open the floorboard, but nothing incriminating is found in it. He asks Emma whether her reluctant behavior is due to Tamara being in Storybrooke. She strongly denies it and leaves with Henry. ("The Evil Queen")

Awakening in bed, Neal sees Tamara is preparing to go out on a marathon training run. Later, Emma informs him Regina is missing, and she strongly believes Tamara is responsible. While he continues to be skeptical, Emma notices sand on the floor left by Tamara's shoes, which indicates his girlfriend has not recently been running in the woods as she claimed but near the beach. As they comb the beach, Tamara casually jogs up, explaining her reasons for changing her jogging spot, before heading off again. Believing Emma's behavior is influenced by Tamara's presence, he expresses sympathy for her difficulty, but she denies being jealous. When Emma tries to walk away, he admits wanting to go back for her when she went to jail in his place. Neal admits he truly wanted to but was too scared to face Emma; thinking she might never forgive him as he never forgave himself for leaving her. After learning Regina is trapped in the cannery, the pair head inside the building. David, who rushed ahead to find Regina, warn Emma via phone to be on the lookout for Greg as he is trying to escape the building. Overhearing the exchange, Neal is relieved to hear Tamara is not involved, but his ease turns to horror when Emma is knocked out unconscious by her. To his shock, Tamara confesses to lying about everything since the day they met, and though she thinks he is a good man, her job is more important. Tamara then shoots him in the abdomen and apologizes before Emma kicks the pistol out of her hands. To distract them further, Tamara opens a portal, almost causing Emma to fall in until Neal grabs hold of her, while she herself flees the cannery. After Emma is pulled up, he ends up clinging to her to keep from falling into the portal. Neal urges her to let him go, but Emma fears he'll die from the gunshot wound no matter what world he lands in. Terrified of losing him, she confesses her genuine love for Neal. He reciprocates his love for her and then disappears into the portal. ("Second Star to the Right")

As he travels through the portal, Neal focuses his thoughts on the Enchanted Forest, which is where ends up unconscious after washing up on a beach. Three strangers, Aurora, Mulan and Prince Phillip, rescue him and tend to his injuries at a palace. He wakes up to the watchful stare of Mulan as Aurora and Phillip rush to check on him. Aurora thinks he as a native of this land, but Mulan dutifully notices his clothes are foreign and similar to Emma and Mary Margaret's. At the mention of Emma's name, Neal urgently mentions he must save her and Henry. Aurora, having previously met Henry in the Netherworld, promises to look for him there again. Aurora's attempt at contacting Henry is unsuccessful, so Neal goes to his father's old castle to find an item for locating Emma and Henry. Mulan, accompanying Neal there, asks about his relationship with Emma as the blonde never mentioned him. He confesses to breaking Emma's heart by letting her go so she could break the curse, and after this, fear of rejection kept him from going back to her. At their destination, a man, Robin Hood, has already claimed the fortress for himself. However, when Neal explains that the castle once belonged to the Dark One, Rumplestiltskin, and he is his son, Baelfire. Robin decides to trust Neal's words and mentions being indebted to Rumplestiltskin for sparing his life in the past. After looking around for a bit, Neal picks up his father's old walking stick, which is enchanted with blood magic and swings it around to activate a hidden door. From within, Neal discovers a crystal ball and attempts to activate it by touch, which causes no change. Mulan suggests thinking about how he feels about Emma as a guide. Neal follows her instructions, and the crystal ball shows him an image of Emma in Neverland. ("And Straight On 'Til Morning", "The Heart of the Truest Believer")

Panicking over finding another pathway to Neverland, Neal searches all over for something that could be of use, but to no avail. Just then, four of Robin's allies from their group, the Merry Men, enter the castle. From beneath the leading man, Little John, a four-year-old boy, Roland, crawls out and runs into Robin's arms. He finds out the child is Robin's son, to which he suddenly comes up with the idea of how to traverse worlds. Neal suggests Roland can use a summoning incantation to call the Shadow so he himself can gain a pathway to Neverland. Once Robin learns the Shadow is notorious for snatching away young boys and whisking them away, he is extremely resistant to the idea. However, Neal reminds him how his father saved Robin's wife, which allowed her to give birth to Roland, and as such, this makes him in Rumplestiltskin's debt. Robin finally relents in his decision. Roland summons the Shadow, who attempts to pull him away, but Mulan severs one of its arms. Neal quickly latches onto the Shadow and is flown back to Neverland. After a rough landing, he is greeted by Felix, who welcomes him home and promises Pan will be very happy to see him. ("Quite a Common Fairy")

With his wrists bound, Neal walks behind Felix through the jungle but undoes his restraints without the Lost Boy noticing. At the right time, he knocks Felix unconscious and then flees. Neal runs straight into Mr. Gold, who thinks he is an illusion to remind him of his failures and attempting to sway his decision to save Henry. Mr. Gold then tries killing Neal, who pleads by calling him Papa, which makes the latter realize his son is not dead. As they talk, Neal learns his father is serious about giving up his own life for Henry, however, he decides to kill a squid so Mr. Gold can extract squid ink, which they will use to paralyze Pan. After Mr. Gold puts all the Lost Boys as well as Henry to sleep, Neal shoots an arrow coated with squid ink at Pan, who catches it in his fist and becomes paralyzed. As the father-son pair make off with a slumbering Henry, Pan tells Neal of a prophecy that Mr. Gold wants to keep from happening by murdering Henry. Once they leave Pan's camp, Neal demands an explanation. With reluctance, Mr. Gold acknowledges that the prophecy spoke of a boy, presumably Henry, who will help him find Neal but ultimately is his own undoing. His father insists this was before discovering Henry is his grandson, but Neal asks for proof he's changed by handing over the Dark One’s dagger. Mr. Gold swears it's hidden a place even he doesn't know where, but Neal believes this is just another empty excuse from him. Afraid his father will go back to his old ways, Neal tricks him into being paralyzed by squid ink. On his own, he leaves Mr. Gold and carries Henry away. Arriving at a deserted camp, Neal suspects Emma was recently there, and as he is examining the snuffed out fire, Pan and the Lost Boys surround him and take Henry. Pan reminds him that no one walks off the island without his leave, to which Neal boasts he once did. To this, Pan smugly implies he allowed it to happen, and everyone is exactly where he wants them. When Henry begins waking up, Neal is dragged off by the Lost Boys on Pan's orders. ("Nasty Habits")

Drugged and placed in a cage, Neal slowly drifts into unconsciousness when Pan arrives to check up on him. On his orders, the Lost Boys hang the cage up next to another confined prisoner. ("Good Form")

At another time, Neal, while still in the enclosure, is brought into an Echo Caves as bait for rescue on a platform. He awakens to see David, Emma, Hook and Mary Margaret standing at the other platform end of the cave. Separated by a gaping space between the two sections, Hook, Mary Margaret, and David all satisfy the requirements of the cave by revealing a guarded secret about themselves, causing a bridge to form, allowing Emma to cross over to Neal. Emma attempts to cut Neal free, which is all in vain, when he implies that she, too, must also follow the cave's requirement. With reassurance from Neal, Emma tearfully acknowledges that she still loves him since the day they met again, but had hopes he wasn't alive because their relationship has given her a lot of pain and she just wanted to move on. The cage bars melt away as she and Neal embrace each other. When they reach the outside, they decide to regroup with Tinker Bell first and then continue the mission. Left alone with Neal, Emma is sorry about what she said to him earlier, though her feelings cannot be changed. Neal doesn't believe she has anything to apologize for but affirms he won't stop fighting for her. ("Ariel")

To capture Pan's Shadow, Neal walks everyone else through the plan of tracking the creature down at Dark Hollow, which is home to all captured shadows. Since the Shadow is mostly solitary, they can capture it without going near Pan. Emma steps up for "shadow duty" with Neal as Hook enlists himself as well. They all agree to meet back at Tinker Bell's tree house once the Shadow is nabbed. Neal, Emma, and Hook revisit the Lost Boy cavern. While Emma goes off to fetch the star map, Hook accidentally discloses the kiss he shared with her, which Neal was unaware of until now. This causes some uneasiness in Neal, but he excuses it as something Emma must've forgotten to bring up. Next, they go in search of Dark Hollow, and on the way there, Emma lends Neal a weapon to cut through the tall grass. Neal recognizes it as his old cutlass, and after learning Hook gave it to her as a memento, he angrily snips at the pirate before walking away. After heading into Dark Hollow, Neal briefs on drawing the Shadow in by lighting the candle and trapping it by putting the lid on. He and Hook end up fighting over the lighter when three shadows show up to attack just as Emma grabs the coconut halves. Both men are thrown against trees as their shadows are almost ripped out, but Emma saves the day by using magic to light the candle and entrap the Shadow inside. On the journey back to Tinker Bell's tree house, Emma settles the competition between Hook and Neal by stating the only person she is choosing is Henry. After showing Tinker Bell proof of the Shadow as their ticket off the island, she agrees to do her part in taking down Pan. In a private chat with Emma, Neal calmly accepts what she said earlier and thinks of Henry as the best thing that came out of them being together, which she agrees with. ("Dark Hollow")

While moving ahead to Pan's camp, a rustle from the jungle causes the entire group to assemble for battle, but it turns out to be only Regina and Mr. Gold. Regina tells them about the power of Pandora's Box while Neal's distrust reaches a pinnacle. He blurts out Mr. Gold's objective to kill Henry and prevent a seer's prophecy from coming true. Subsequently, Emma and everyone else turns against Mr. Gold by drawing their weapons. To keep him at bay, Neal forces his father to hand over the box and warns him against using magic. As they all file past to continue on, Mr. Gold cautions his son about underestimating Pan's power. Neal wants to know what shared history his father and Pan have, but Mr. Gold remains silent on the issue. Later, Mr. Gold offers his services to make an elixir so David can be out of Neverland's waters without dying. The catch is, as usual, his father wants a favor out of the deal, which Emma is willing to partake, but Neal can't stomach it. He strikes down the asking price by pushing Mr. Gold to help for the right reasons rather than for his own personal gain. ("Think Lovely Thoughts")

After Tinker Bell gains access to the perimeter of the encampment and the Lost Boys are put to sleep by Regina, neither Henry or Pan are found there. Instead, Neal frees an old friend, Wendy, and brings her back to camp to inquire about Henry. Forced to act on Pan's wishes, Wendy lies to them. Mr. Gold calls her out for not telling the truth. With some encouragement from Neal, Wendy opens up about Pan's real reason for needing Henry's heart, which is to save himself from dying and then become immortal. As a trade, Pan lives, but Henry will die. By rowboat, Neal, Emma, Mr. Gold and Regina ascend onto Skull Rock to stop Pan. Instead, they are stopped by a barrier, enacted to keep out anyone with a shadow, blocking their path up the stairs. As Mr. Gold is the only one without a shadow, he is able to enter through. This fact surprises Neal, who had previously thought he was lying about ripping away his shadow. The box is handed over to Mr. Gold, but while he is gone, Emma and Regina use magic to block out the moon as well as their shadows. The trio rush up to the upper level to witness Henry pulling out his own heart. All three attempt to dissuade him from the sacrifice, but through Pan's manipulations, Henry chooses to give up his heart. They cry out in horror as he plunges the heart into Pan's chest, causing all of them to be thrown back from the impact, and Henry collapses. As they rush over to check up on his unmoving body, Pan rises into the air. ("Think Lovely Thoughts")

Before Pan flies off, he reveals Mr. Gold is now powerless and trapped in the box. Neal proposes they look for Pan at the Lost Boy camp, though Regina lashes out over the ridiculous idea since their nemesis wouldn't risk going back there. Unable to come up with a plan, they bring Henry's body back with them to the Lost Boy camp where Regina casts a preservation spell on him to last one hour until they track down Pan. Emma manages to get some of the Lost Boys to open up about Pan's current location at his "thinking tree" in Pixie Woods after promising to bring them off the island. While Emma, Mary Margaret, and Regina go to find Pan, Neal and the rest of their party plan to regroup aboard the Jolly Roger. The three women come back in time to place the heart back in Henry as he gasps to life. Additionally, the box has also been retrieved and given to Neal. He is astonished by finding out Pan is actually Mr. Gold's father. After releasing his father from the box, the two make up over their past differences and problems. Neal sees his father truly cares about the well-being of Henry and feels bad for not believing in him. Mr. Gold expresses fears that he turned out just like Pan by leaving his own son and being selfish. Though Neal has always held a grudge against his father for that abandoning him, he now recognizes Mr. Gold has changed for the better. Homebound for Storybrooke, Neal releases the Shadow over a lit cannon, firing the creature into the air, to which Regina projects it into a sail so the ship can fly everyone home. ("Save Henry")

Following a safe journey back to Storybrooke, Neal is given a shot to court Emma after Hook resigns himself to step back for Henry's sake. Immediately, he uses the opportunity to ask Emma out for a low-key lunch at the diner. The following morning, Emma doesn't show up, to Neal's disappointment. Trouble once again arises in town when the Shadow kills Mother Superior. After regrouping with the others, it is suspected Pan is behind the attack. Neal, Hook, and Tinker Bell go to fetch the lighter and coconut halves from the ship in case they need to catch the Shadow again. They attempt to enter the vault where Regina took Henry to keep him safe, but the door is locked. Belle, Emma, David, Mary Margaret and Mr. Gold bring back Pan, who is actually Henry, since the two switched bodies. When Mr. Gold breaks open the vault, they discover Pan took the spell for the Dark Curse. ("The New Neverland")

When Mr. Gold provides a way to stop Pan's curse, which is to have the original caster of the Dark Curse, Regina, undo it by destroying the scroll, the heroes plan to switch Henry back to his own body so he will be in possession of the scroll and bring it to Regina. Mr. Gold agrees that he can perform the spell but needs a strong outlet in order for it to work. After Tinker Bell suggests using the Black Fairy's wand which Mother Superior had, Neal, David, and Hook go with her to get it from the convent nuns. Pan's Shadow attacks them, and they are unable to defeat it until Neal urges Tinker Bell to try her vial of pixie dust. Tinker Bell manages to use the dust to light a flame on the coconut half, flies into the air to trap the Shadow, and then disposes of the creature for good by burning it in a fire. With the Shadow gone, Mother Superior returns alive and hands the Black Fairy's wand to them. The three men arrive at the pawnshop with the wand, where Mr. Gold restores Henry's spirit to his own body. Neal joins his party of allies on the streets of Storybrooke to find Henry, and Granny's tracking skills reunite them with him. Henry then passes the scroll to Regina, who promptly passes out and awakens with knowledge of the price for stopping the curse. Pan, after overpowering Mr. Gold in the pawnshop, freezes Neal and his friends before choosing Neal as his first kill. Mr. Gold intervenes and summons the dagger, stabbing Pan as well as himself with it, which a shocked Neal witnesses. After learning the price of stopping Pan's curse is all former Enchanted Forest inhabitants must return to their old world, Emma and Henry will leave town together while Regina crafts new memories for both so they forget everything. Before Emma and Henry's departure, Neal says goodbye to them and promises they will see each other again. As the two cross out of Storybrooke, Regina stops the curse from taking over as everyone inside the town is sent back to the Enchanted Forest. ("Going Home")

Before Second Curse

After Regina takes magical preventive measures to undo Pan's casting of the Dark Curse, all the inhabitants of Storybrooke pay the price by returning to the Enchanted Forest, and reverting to their prior personas. In a group, they manifest in the land of Princess Aurora and Prince Phillip. A plan quickly assembles for everyone to make their way to the Queen's old palace. Before they set out, Neal mentions to Prince Charming that he wants to go to his father's castle to find a way to reach Emma and Henry. Snow White persuades Neal that there is no way to cross the realm again without another curse while Prince Charming believes even if a way is breached, Emma and Henry will not remember anyone. During the trek to the palace, Belle expresses hopes to Neal that he will see his family again. She also thinks Rumplestiltskin is not truly gone since they did not see where his dagger went. Later, Friar Tuck, Little John, and Robin Hood of the Merry Men join their party. Baelfire has a cheerful reunion with Robin Hood as does Belle. Upon arriving at the outskirts of the palace, Regina discovers a protection spell, cast by whoever is currently residing inside, is keeping them from going in. For the time being, Robin Hood suggests everyone can take shelter at Sherwood Forest. ("New York City Serenade")

As they depart for Sherwood Forest, a flying monkey attacks, nearly knocking into Neal, but he manages to dodge in time. The creature is quickly dispensed of when Regina turns it into a stuffed animal. In a group discussion, Belle shares knowledge about the flying monkey's origins in the land of Oz, so Regina determines the person in the palace is the Wicked Witch. A plan is set up to wait for Regina to bring the shield down and then mobilize the whole group into the palace. Once night falls, Grumpy gives the signal when he spots the dissipating barrier, meaning Regina was able to lower it, so everyone begins assembling towards their destination. ("Witch Hunt")

Hoping to defeat the Wicked Witch, Neal scours Rumplestiltskin's old castle with Belle for a way to resurrect his father. In his possession, he reveals the swan necklace that once belonged to Emma and represented their life together. While Neal is unsure how it is still intact since leaving Storybrooke, Belle believes it's because the necklace was born out of true love. Intending to gloss over books for information, Belle lights candles, accidentally summoning a person trapped inside, who calls himself Lumiere. He claims to be imprisoned due to a broken deal with Rumplestiltskin and only helps them when Belle promises they can free him. After being directed to a book, Neal and Belle obtain a key hidden inside that can lead them to the Vault of the Dark One where they can revive Rumplestiltskin. On the walk to the vault, guided by Lumiere, Neal talks to Belle about relating to Rumplestiltskin since they are both willing to do anything to be reunited with their sons. Arriving in a clearing, Neal, with Lumiere's instruction, brushes away the snow on the ground's center to reveal a vault seal. Before Neal fits the key in, Belle figures out Lumiere is lying, after he states having lived in Rumplestiltskin's library for two-hundred years, though the room wasn't built until prior to the Dark Curse. Caught in a lie, Lumiere admits he is confined due to the Wicked Witch, who had him manipulate them into bringing back the Dark One so she can control Rumplestiltskin with the dagger. Though Belle warns Neal about the consequences should this happen, he ignores her and places the key into the seal. The key burns a triangle tattoo in his palm, resurrecting Rumplestiltskin, but at the cost of his own life. On the brink of death, Neal is saved, temporarily, when absorbed into Rumplestiltskin's body. ("Quiet Minds")

As affirmed by the banished Good Witch of the South, Glinda, only Emma is capable of defeating Zelena. Thus, Snow White, armed with this knowledge, secretly casts another Dark Curse, but Zelena interferes by adding a potion to erase everyone's memories of the last year in the Enchanted Forest. After taking a potion to retain her memories, she passes the vial to Rumplestiltskin. Left alone, he prepares to ingest the liquid, but suddenly passes out after Neal temporarily breaks free from his father's body. Using his last bit of strength, he writes a note, without disclosing himself as the sender, to Hook asking him to give the potion to Emma, and he then attaches it to a messenger bird. Afterwards, Neal returns to his father's body. ("A Curious Thing")

During Second Curse

During the new curse, Mr. Gold escapes the confines of Zelena's prison. Within Mr. Gold's body, Neal helps him resist Zelena's orders, which she uses via the dagger. Neal later regains control, though unaware he and his father are in the same body. He passes out after breaking into the pawnshop and is taken to the hospital where his palm is discovered to have a strange marking. Neal also learns his father may be alive. In a talk with Emma, he is saddened to know that Henry doesn't remember him. Afterwards, Neal attempts to leave the hospital, only to be blocked by Hook, who hugs him. The pirate recounts, with a sentimental affection, of his memories of Neal as the boy he cared for. In turn, Neal recalls the same about him. Hook is apologetic for the mess they got caught in because of Emma, and allows Neal to go. While in the forest, Mr. Gold returns in his body while Neal becomes dormant. Emma chases after a fleeing Mr. Gold, but doesn't see when he reverts into Neal, who then runs into her. As they comb the woods together, Neal admits to still caring about Emma, but wants her to be happy, even if it's not with him. In a phone call, Belle tells Emma that Neal's palm marking is a symbol from a key which opens the Vault of the Dark One, meaning he must have used it at some point to revive Mr. Gold. However, only the Dark One can be restored, while the latter is meant to perish. Soon, Neal collapses in agony while hearing his father's voice in his own head. He persuades Emma to use her magic to separate them, despite that it will cause his inevitable death. Emma cradles Neal during his last moments, in which he returns the swan necklace, imploring her and Henry to find happiness without him. He thanks his father for teaching him what it means to sacrifice for his loved ones and passes away shortly after. Neal's body is later put to rest in a funeral ceremony, where the townspeople pay their respects. ("Quiet Minds", "It's Not Easy Being Green")

In the afterlife, Neal's soul has gone to a better place, but after learning Emma is going to the Underworld to rescue Hook, he appears in one of Emma's dreams to talk to her. Akin to how they first met years ago in Portland, he pops up from the backseat of the car, surprising her greatly. Neal assures her that it's really him before stepping out and hopping into the front passenger seat. He asks her about Henry, and she briefly tells him how their son is doing. Emma mentions being on her way to the Underworld, but Neal tries to persuade her out of it because once she is there, it won't be easy to leave. He asks her to trust him on this, though Emma insists she would have tried to look for him too, had she known she could. Neal admits he's not there, which leads Emma to conclude Hook is, so she begs for his help finding him. He cannot, because the Underworld is for people with unfinished business, and he, unlike Hook, has already moved on. Out of concern for her, he attempts one last time to talk her out of going to the Underworld, but Emma states that she can't. Accepting that he can't change her mind after all, Neal flashes her a wry smile and then kisses her on the forehead. He reiterates his love for her and that he's always loved her before exiting from the car and walking off. Emma calls after him, but then, she suddenly awakens from her dream. Later, in the Underworld, Henry searches room eight at the inn, which was Neal's old room in Storybrooke's inn. He has hopes of finding his father and letting him know he's all right, but Neal was not there. Recalling her talk with Neal in her dream, Emma consoles Henry with the knowledge that Neal does know. ("Souls of the Departed")

Dashed lines denote marriage relationships and relationships that result in offspring

† denotes the deceased

Baelfire/Neal and Emma have never been married

Neal and Tamara were engaged

Trivia

Etymology

"Baelfire" is another word for bonfire,[2] a large fire built outdoors, as for signaling or in celebration of an event. "Baelfire" can be spelled in a number of different ways, including Bale Fire, Beal Fire and Bel Fire, and is the hallmark of any Beltane celebration.[3]

Emma alludes to this when she lies to Henry and says that his father was training to be a fireman, and died saving a family from a burning building. ("True North")

According to his wanted poster, Neal was born in 1977.[1] Baelfire was born long before that; however, the data are probably meant to represent his biological age. Since Neal and Emma met in 2001, he would have been twenty-four while she was seventeen at the time. ("Tallassee", "There's No Place Like Home")

Storybook Notes

Rumpelstiltskin was a mild-mannered and curiouslyunremarkable man who lived arather unremarkable life.Along with his wife andyoung son, Baelfire, he livedin a modest wooden hut onthe outskirts of the village, making his living byspinning wool into the thread that he would barteror sell to the people thereabouts.Rumplestiltskin's fortunes were to change that beautiful day that the Duke’s soldiers rode into thevillage They were rounding up all men and childrenof a serviceable age, garnering recruits to fight interrible, never-ending Ogre Wars.Young Baelfire saw a young girl, a cherishedchildhood companion being wrestled from herparents. Not [obscured] he ran home totell his father."Papa, Papa," Baelfire gasped, out of breath,[obscured] come to take Morraine away!" [obscured] rose from the spinning stool; [obscured] he limped outside.There

was a commotion down the land, past his neighbour'sstable. The soldiers were dragging a young girl fromthe arms of her distraught and pleading parents. "Please do not take our Morraine," the mother beseeched, her arms outstretched.The guard was unshakable. "Your daughter isstrong and will make a fine soldier!""But there must be a mistake," her fatherresponded. "She is only thirteen…""I am under orders from the Duke", repliedthe guard. "The wars have taken a turn-for-theworst and the age of those we seek has beenlowered – by decree!"As the guard was about to hoist the young girlonto his horse, her father pulled out a knife from hispocket. "Stop! You cannot have her!" he bellowed,thrusting the blade aimlessly into the air.All of a sudden, the father ceased waveringand froze motionless, like a statue, bound as if bysome unseen and abysmal power. Everyone gatheredthereabouts gaped and looked towards to the[illegible word] pasture, over to where a dark hooded manon a black horse was enacting a diabolical spell.("Dreamcatcher")

Production Notes

The casting call name for Neal was "Jack" and describes him as, "in his 20s or 30s, charismatic, sexy and mysterious, but also loyal and kind, and he's running from his past in a land full of danger."[13]

Popular Culture

While living as thieves in Portland, Neal says to Emma, "Maybe it's time we retire the Bonnie and Clyde act". Bonnie and Clyde were famous outlaws and robbers who traveled the central United States with their gang during the Great Depression. Their effect on pop culture would last for decades beyond their demise. ("Tallahassee")

Set Dressing

Neal has many vintage items in his apartment such as an array of old radios, old microphones, classic cameras, records and record player, old pencil sharpener, cobbler's wooden shoe forms and an old telephone. ("Broken")

↑Reed, Diane J.. A Drifter's Golden Dream. Once Upon a Fan. Archived from the original on March 16, 2015. “Well I didn’t audition for this—they called me and said they wanted to offer me a job on the show and so let’s have a meeting and we’ll explain to you who it is.”